This is an oddball question but I am hoping someone can help me identify this device, which appears intended for use in a kitchen based on its location in a drawer full of other kitchen tools. As you can see it is about 4 inches long.
Mystery kitchen device with three finger loops, one attached to a sliding rod that passes through a ring
equipment
Related Solutions
America's Test Kitchen published a review of eight models in the April 2010 issue of Cook's Country.
Their test covered several common tasks for an immersion blender:
- Mayonnaise emulsification
- Making soup
- Whipping cream
- Making smoothies with frozen ingredients
- Making pesto
They evaluated the blenders on three criteria: performance, usability, and ease of cleaning. The only blender to perform at the highest level across all three, and the only to win their top honors of "highly recommended" is the Kalorik Sunny Morning Stick Mixer.
The model that I use is the KitchenAid Hand Blender. I have never had a problem with it, and it was the only other model reviewed to be recommended. It was dinged a few points in the soup & whipped cream tests.
The remaining models were either recommended "with reservations", or outright not recommended. The reasons for these included:
- No cup included. The cup is important for ensuring optimal mixing.
- Battery powered
- Having to hold two buttons to use
- Ridiculously loud
- Excessive vibrations
- General discomfort & fatigue
- Poor performance with one or more of the food tasks. This was typically attributed to either a weak motor, or a poor blade cage design. A poorly designed cage can restrict the circulation of food resulting in portions being over blended.
None of the models reviewed included a Sunbeam or Braun. However, the Cuisinart model was, and received the lowest marks of all.
Get good metal
A decent pair of 23 to 30 cm (9 to 12") stainless steel tongs should weigh around 125 to 150 g (4.5 to 5.5 oz); if it weighs less than this it is not going to be strong enough to be truly useful, and will probably bend and break in short order
Longer tongs, say around 35 to 40 cm (13.5 to 15.5") are great if you operate a very hot grill frequently
If it has a locking mechanism (recommended) it should only lock when the tongs are pointed up and squeezed close. It should unlock when pointed down and squeezed. This is normally achieved with a pin just below the hinge pin that is engaged when tipped up. Locks that require fiddling or two hands to operate are a pain, and often fail over time
Go for plain metal, the plastic bits never last very long or stay hygienic, and you will be adding to the rubbish pile before long
I have various tongs like this that have lasted 20 years and are still great
Cheap Chinese tongs are often just chrome plated crap steel. They are bad in so many ways: hygiene, longevity, easy of use, etc
Examples
Good tongs 23 cm with internal locking pin. Cannot bend steel with hands.
Bad tongs with silicone ends that wear out quickly. The two handed locking mechanism that jams or breaks easily
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Best Answer
This is a cherry pitter. The metal ring holds the cherry while the piston forces the pit out right through the cherry.